BEDU Honours Our Oceans with Chef Corey’s One Night Dinner

Season-fresh and Responsibly Sourced; BEDU Takes on ‘Sustainable Seafood’

The truth about food sustainability has been a recent controversial topic, with consumers questioning farmers, suppliers and the industry’s overall impact on the world’s ecosystems. In the next Dinner with Corey instalment, BEDU explores ethical catch methods and ASC- certified* sources to bring sustainability to the plate, for one night only on Wednesday 16th June.

With a drive to do better by working with suppliers and fisheries to cross check farming methods and traceability of each catch, Chef Corey Riches has curated five (HK$650/person) and seven (HK$850/person) course seafood-forward menus, using ingredients that align with WWF’s sustainable seafood guide.

Hong Kong ranks second in terms of seafood consumption in Asia and is the world’s eighth-largest seafood consumer per-capita. Consuming wild caught or ethically farmed seafood, that meets our dietary needs without compromising the health of marine ecosystems, is a sustainable and responsible solution for the seas and our future generations.

Putting this way of eating to the test, June’s Dinner with Corey kicks off with an appetiser of King Fish Basturma, using a Turkish curing method traditionally reserved for beef, Corey swaps in Hiramasa king fish. Raised in the Spencer Gulf, South Australia, the fish are farmed in large, clean pens in remote and cold ocean waters, conditions that meet the responsible aquaculture standards of the ASC accreditation. Cured in a thick homemade paste of fenugreek, coriander seeds, paprika and chilli, for three weeks, the basturma is then served with BEDU’s signature labneh and toasted sesame and poppy seed lavosh crackers for a rustic dipping addition.

Using a similar chicken glaze to that of BEDU’s popular Chilli Spiced Zucchini, the Roasted Wild Scallops are baked in a butter infused with the stock from overnight roasted chicken wings. Caught off the shores of Hokkaido, these wild caught scallops are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), ensuring preservation of their natural habitat. Corey cooks the scallops in the shell, to a delicate texture before lightly torching for an added charred smokiness.

The wild Pãua abalone used in Corey’s Abalone Tagine are farmed in New Zealand by a fully Māori owned company and braised in coriander seeds and onion. Thinly sliced to capture the tender mouthfeel distinctive of abalone, he layers it atop an Algerian-style tagine of tomato, onion, garlic and ginger. Topped with a puree of whipped dates, thin juliennes of chilli and a sprinkle of sumac for brightness.

To round off the seafood feast, the Sweet Tide consists of homemade vanilla ice cream and colourful coral-shaped candy, served with a pour of chilled blue butterfly pea tea to resemble seawater, and a cookie crumble for sand – the dessert Corey designed as a way of artistically honouring our oceans.

Those who opt for the seven-course menu will also be able to sample the Marinated Yellowfin Tuna, an Israeli staple. Fresh line-caught tuna from a regulated fishing region of Vietnam, is sliced and marinated in a blend of thyme, coriander seeds and house seasoning. A Moroccan-style fresh mint tea is poured tableside by the team, over the sashimi-style fish and a light watermelon radish salad.

Corey’s exclusive BEDU Baklava will be the seventh and final course of the meal. Homemade with crushed pistachios and dried rose petals, a sweet and floral syrup is double-baked into 40 layers of filo pastry to recreate the famous Lebanese dessert and complete the sustainable Bedouin feast.

* The Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) “responsibly farmed” eco-label.